IBF super-middleweight world champion James 'Chunky' DeGale is set for a 'Battle of the Bulge' contest against Rogelio 'Porky' Medina in what will be the Londoner's first appearance on home soil in 18 months.

DeGale had been expected to take on mandatory challenger Jose Uzcategui this spring after failing to finalise his desired unification clash with WBC champion Badou Jack, who beat George Groves in September.

However undefeated Venezuelan Uzcategui has suffered an illness and had to pass up his top spot in the IBF ranking leaving DeGale with a new mandatory challenger. That comes in the form of Medina, the Mexican, who has 36 wins from 42 fights with 30 knockouts.

IBF super-middleweight world champion James 'Chunky' DeGale set for return to the ring in April or May

The 27-year-old has suffered defeats at the hands of both Jack and Uzcategui but is in form having racked up four straight stoppage wins since August 2014, all of which came in the first three rounds.

DeGale's promoter Eddie Hearn said: 'He was due to fight Jose Uzcategui, who is now out with an illness, so he will fight Rogelio Media.

'It will still count as a mandatory as the IBF have just gone down the list. It means he will have fulfilled that obligation so he is free to look at whatever fights he wants afterwards.'

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DeGale, of Harlesden, north west London, won his world title by beating Andre Dirrell in Boston last year and then defended it with a points win over Lucian Bute in Canada in November.

It means he has not competed in England since he stopped Marco Antonio Periban in Liverpool back in November 2014 with his last outing in his hometown not since his victory over Brandon Gonzales on the Froch-Groves II undercard at Wembley the previous May.

It had been suggested that DeGale's fight with Uzcategui would be included on the show at the 02 Arena on April 9, which has now been topped by Anthony Joshua's challenge for the IBF heavyweight title against Charles Martin.

DeGale celebrates super-middleweight championship victory over Lucian Bute in Quebec during November

However Hearn revealed that DeGale could now headline his own show in the capital and it is understood that Alexandra Palace has emerged as a potential for the clash five weeks later.

'We are still looking at the possibility of April 9 or maybe a stand-alone show for James on May 14,' he said.

'Obviously we were due to take a weaker and cheaper opponent than Charles Martin for Anthony Joshua with a bigger undercard.

'Now a lot of he money has gone into Charles Martin, we will still have a strong undercard but it won't quite have the depth of the original undercard.

'That means James will probably go elsewhere but we are not ruling anything out.'